The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-11-10
HOW TO MAKE CHEAP SILOs
BY RICHARD H. LEWIS. NJ. u

BY RlCHARD ID. LEWIS. NJ u
lat the request of the State Agricultural Society,"
Silos, or receptacles for the Dresser.
walton by partial fermentation, under
pressure, of green forage crops in a
succulent, a%ppetizing and digestible
condition (E]nsazage), may be made
either in the ground or above it. The
writer will, after giving the important
general features of any good silo, at.
tempt to describe, as simply and clearly
as possible, the method of construct.
ing M Of each variety, so as to meet
the requirements of farmers in eyerv
section of the State.
A good silo should be, l. Dry. .
It's walls should be alright. 3. Thew
should be strong enough to prevent
spreading. 4. They should be smooth
and vertical or slightly inclined out,
wards at the top. Some think the
latter better
The Earthen Sl1o.-If the location
is high enough to prevent water rising
in the bottom, and the soil is stiff
enough to prevent caving of the walls.
this form of silo is the simplest and
cheapest. 1t is nothing more than a
pit dug in the clay with smooth, yer,
tical or inclined sides with a shelter
over it. AS ensilage when filled in
rapidly shrinks about one-third, it is
we'll to extend the walls above ground
by means of plank, so as to utilize the
entire depth of the pit. This can be
done by mailing rough inch-plank edge
to edge on the inside of AKA posts set
four to six feet apart, the lower ends
being let into the bottom six or eight
inches, and the posts themselves
counter-sunk in the walls one inch
below their surface-this inch being
filled out with an inch plank nailed
over the post. In this way the plank
and clay portions of the walls are made
flush with each other. Most of the
silos of the writer are of this character,
and he a state, after an experience
of several years, that they preserve
the ensilage perfectly.
The Above-ground Salo has the adj
vantage of affording greater facilityin
taking the ensilage ont. 1t is, how.
ever, in the same proportion, difficult
to get it IN, though it may be more
convenient from having an abundance
of labor at hand at that time. The
silo above ground may be made OF
stone, concrete, brick or wood. AS
we are interested in cheap silos we will
consider the last only.
A very common form of wooden
silo is made by covering 2x6 or 2xS
studs, inside and out, with rough
plank and filling in between with art
This answers the purpose admirably,
but one made as follows is heater,
stronger and fully as cheap. Lay
four 8x8 stills level on the ground and
fasten their ends together securely
Rest on this sill, two feet apart, the
lower ends of 2xlO studs which have
been notched or logged" seven
inches. Toe-nail these to the sill and
drive a 4O-penny nail into it just al
the outer edge of the study to help
hold them against the outward pres
sure of the ensilage. Saw off the tops
Of the studs on a level. Place on
their level tops a 2xlO plate. SET
on this plate the upright supports
for a roof. Cover this with clap
boards or shingles. Put in two
braces, crossing each other in cen1re
of silo, from the stills, and two from
the plates to hold the walls still more
securely together. Line it inside VIII
narrow OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES flooring
put on horizontally. Make a door 1oui
feet wide in one end by putting Dat'
tons on the outside of the flooring anu
saving it out, together with a sec1lon
of one stud. The door must open
outward. If the wall should be Gov.
cred with tarred paper and anotnei
thickness of flooring laid on mat, run.
ming up and down, it would be oe.t Ia
but not enough better to pay 1or w: !
extra expense. Washing the lnsluo
thoroughly with crude petroleum, ap
piled with a whithwash brush, is o.
advantage, as aiding in the prevention
of rotting-the weak point i n o
silos.